It Gets Better
by Phoenixa Nymphadora
Summary: This story is about a young woman who finds a path to happiness when she thought all was lost. Young Aeri finds that life can be manipulated and one is not always stuck with an unpleasant time.


This story is about a young woman who finds a path to happiness when she thought all was lost. Young Aeri finds that life can be manipulated and one is not always stuck with an unpleasant time.

There are grammar mistakes and i'm much too tired to bother with fixing them today. Please deal.

"Elydree!" Aeri awoke startled to the sound of her mother's voice and grunted in frustration. Her mother had once more called her by the name of her long dead sister.

"Mum, i'm Aeri, do you remember?" Aeri did not put much effort into receiving an answer from the mad women, this was simply how things were. Dad was dead, Elydree was dead and Aeri, mum's least favorite remained living and well.

Hairith heard her daughter, but had not the patience for the brat. She had only given Elyd-Aeri one job to do the night before, and that was to wake early and await the mail carrier to send back any letters that came for Ansly, her late husband. She had shed enough tears from receiving letters to her dear husband and could not bear the pain seeing those letters addressed to 'Sir Ansly Phisrin Irith' had caused her anymore. Seeing the letters made her irritable and slip deeper into her insanity. Hairith did not mind the break from sanity, but she realized she had to be there from the brat Aeri. She did not love the girl, but she could tolerate her on certain occasions. Unfortunate for young Aeri, this was not one of those blessed occasions.

"Aeri, what was the one thing I asked of you last night?" Hairith asked sharply.

"To wait upon the mail carrier" answered Aeri shamefaced.

"So you do remember. Tell me idiot child, if it is not your memory, is is your incompetence that kept you from waiting upon the mail carrier?" Hairith questioned icily. " Or maybe you are lazy?" She watched as her daughter took a step back. _With due cause_ Hairith thought as she swung her hand back to deliver a sharp slap to her daughter's face.

Seeing her mother's hand coming toward, Aeri gracefully stepped way from it. If she could simply explain, maybe...

"Mother, I-I apologize for not waking, but-but I cannot use my alarm charms here and I cannot figure how to use this alarm clock," Aeri stammered out. Her mother had forbidden her the use of magic in the house and 21st century technology was quite new to she and her mother both.

"Say no more idiot girl and take these-" She shoved a few envelopes into Aeri's hands "To the office where the post carriers come from and come straight home."

"Yes, mum" Aeri happily agreed. She had successfully subdued the worst of her mother's temper. Remembering one other thing, Aeri opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again.

Last night, her mother had asked her to find a place that offered wizard food, as she was not familiar with the food of the non magic. It appeared her mother had forgotten the extra detail, so Aeri decided to go without reminding her mother in hopes that the women could be appeased for what happened just a few minutes ago.

With a quick glance into the hallway to make sure her mother was not around, Aeri charmed her sleeping clothing into something more suitable for going outdoors in. After she charmed her hair into a simple do, she grabbed her knapsack that contained her wand, money and other equally important items and headed toward the door, remembering to grab the envelopes in the last second before she walked out the door.

Once in the hallway, Aeri stopped by the kitchen before going outdoors. Hairith may not have liked non-magic food, but Aeri absolutely loved the odd taste of the different foods. She walked to kitchen table and pulled a chair from under the maple masterpiece. The table belonged to the non-magic folk who lived here before she and her mum had taken residence in the ancient house.

With the chair, Aeri walked back across the kitchen and to a spotless kitchen counter, a counter Aeri had scrubbed thoroughly the night before. She hopped up on the chair to pry open the cabinet above the ice box.

The ice box was the only thing in the house that Aeri was allow to charm that her mother did not get angry about. Aeri huffed, there was no surprise there really. Hairith could be heard complaining time to time about the icebox and how "at home" the wizarding icebox was made to spell each food to the exact temperature an individual enjoyed it. For the life of her, Hairith could not fathom how someone could eat marmalade that was the temperature of their milk.

Now standing on top of the counter, with the cabinet open, Aeri eyed her prize. Boxes upon boxes of sweets, biscuits and cakes lined the otherwise dull cabinet. A bright Blue package caught her eye. "Jaffa Cakes" she whispered happily. She snatched the box down, closed the cabinet and removed herself from the counter, less her mother see and punish her mercilessly for sneaking the sweets and climbing on the counter. Aeri put the chair back underneath he Maple table, grabbed her book bag and walked straight out the back door.

The Front door would have been more sensible, but the backdoor protected her from her mother seeing her choice of breakfast. Hairith would not have been upset that her daughter had chosen sweets for breakfast, as one would assume. No, the obtuse women would have been simply infuriated that her daughter had chosen to eat some mundane snack instead of a wizarding food. This, Aeri did not understand. Ever since her dad and sister had died, her mother was completely bearable and did not tolerate the use of magic, save the icebox. Hairith also would not allow Aeri to eat much of the non-magic food, claiming the mundane ingredients could destroy their magical core yet, she would not search for a near by wizard village to seek out "proper" food. Aeri sighed a heavy sigh, her mother was getting worse and she could get no help from a healer because her mother would not allow a person of magic in the house.

Aeri crossed the garden and then cut across the neighbor's garden. Once she was on the side street away from her house, anyone could see how the child visibly relaxed. She began the tiresome walk to the post office. As she moved forward, her steps became almost robotic. There was a straight path to the post office, and so she let her mind drift back to a happier time, a time when Ansly and Elydree were alive.

Ansly was nothing like Hairith. He was handsome, kind, gentle, brave and intelligent. Ansly was also a potions master and perhaps the best one the wizarding world had seen for centuries. With fame however, came enemies and Ansly managed to make quite a few. Not everyone could tolerate an intelligent sophisticated wizard. Zelwin was one of those jealous people.

Zelwin was not a great wizard and his potion's work had much to be desired, but he had the charisma that many wizards lacked at the time. There was a great war between the wizarding and non-magic officials and most wizards sought out places to hide from their enemies, Ansly included. Ansly was a family man and new that taking part in a war meant risking the lives of his adored wife and children. Zelwin had other plans for the man though.

Zelwin began is rapid rise to power by killing Ansly and Elydree Irith. His target was the entire family, but Aeri had just managed toescape the man's powerful killing curse. Hairith had stumbled over a patch of raised earth as she ran, and she too missed the curse. When Aeri and Hairith dodged the curse, fell to the ground, pretending to be dead so the wizard would leave them be.

When Zelwin left them, Hairith was devestated that her prize daughter and perfect husband were murdered. She looked upon her living daughter, who had suffered quite a few injuries, and got up and walked away from the suffering child. Aeri was not supposed to have been born. Aeri was not perfect. Aeri was not even beautiful in her eyes. Elydree should have lived, not Aeri.

Tears stung Aeri's eyes as she remembered the look of loathing in her mother's icy gaze while she was lying on the ground hurting. She remembered how her mother had limped away without a care for her.

Aeri then smiled as she recalled who rescued her when her mother abandoned her. Young Jeren. Jeren was only 3 years older than Aeri, but he was a brave soul. Aeri was simply smitten with the boy. It stung her heart to know that a year after Ansly and Elydree were killed, Jeren was too. The boy was fool hardy and rushed out on the battle field without a care for his safety. A 'Sectumsempra' was thrown at the child before he could cast his first spell.

Aeri quickly pulled herself out of her thoughts before they overwhelmed her. Zelwin was killed not even a month ago and tension between the wizards and non-magic folk had ceased. There was a reason for happiness alas.


End file.
